1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic isolation manifold for an automatic temperature and valving control system to supply heated water from a heater to a swimming pool and to a spa which may be interconnected by a spill way. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a system wherein a header assembly embodies a unique arrangement of hydraulically operated valves to control directed flows of water from a swimming pool and a spa without incurring adverse effects to the water pressure because of the valving.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Current pool heating systems accomplish specific needs for the routing of pool or spa water through a heater on a time shared basis. Three-way valves and "T" fittings allow closing of any branch to isolate the pool water, direct it through the heater and return it to the pool or to the spa when water flow via the spa spill-over is desired. In a contrary position, the valves operate to isolate the spa water from the pool and direct the water pumped from the spa through the heater and back to the spa. Motorized actuators can be fitted to such valves for automated operation. Common valves of gate, globe, ball or butterfly varieties are used to isolate pool or spa water to share the same heater. Normally, four common valves are necessary, namely: one to prevent spa water from entering the heater during pool heating; one to prevent pool water from entering the spa during spa heating; one to direct pool water to enter the heater, and one to return water to the pool.
The present invention is an improvement to the known time sharing heater techniques and particularly as disclosed in Service Bulletins Volume II, Issue IX, dated September, 1985, and Volume V, Issued VII, dated July, 1988, by Horner Equipment of Florida, Inc. According to this body of known heating pool technology, hydraulic isolation valving for combined spa and pool structures is devised for the pool water and spa water. All the water pumped from the spa was required to pass through a single check valve imposing a detrimental water pressure drop before a part of the spa water entered the heater and a diverted part passed through another check valve in a return line where heated water from the heater was introduced to form a combined flow for return to the spa. Such a system suffered from pressure drops imposed by a check valve to the entire spa water flow before division to form the partial flow to the heater; thus downgrading the much desired turbulent water condition in body of water in the spa. Also, the piping in such hydraulic isolating systems was of a random nature whereby the valving was not centralized and pipe sizes were often wrongly chosen, thus degrading the effectiveness of the system. The diverse nature of hydraulic isolation systems imposed severe restraints to the temperature control system because there was ordinarily required an interlock between a time clock or pool pump with the heater thermostat controls. Such interlock was job site dependent and required interlocking of a flow switch or an external relay in a time clock, or pump with heater thermostats for the switching operations.
Current pool and water heating technologies also offer devices to accomplish temperature setting functions for control of pool or spa water through a shared heater. Manual electrical switches can be used to designate one of two thermostats or potentiometers for controlling water heater operations for pool water and spa water. No centrally derived signal could be generated to select which of the two thermostats or potentiometers would be used for heater operation because flow detection was always a site specific circumstance. The water pressure detecting switches had to be situated in the piping before the flow of water was diverted and selected for the water heating operation. Because of this, the chosen site along the piping was likely remote to the water heater and independent of the usual sensor in the water heater that would assure identification of pool or spa water flow therein as a fail safe measure. Electronic pool/spa controllers are also available to the industry for remote operation, thermostat setting, time sequencing, and valve activation, but these devices do not relate or utilize the hydraulic principles of this invention and therefore unduly complicate the entire control system.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a manifold for combining functions into an integral central system using hydraulic isolation principles for water circulating controls.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water flow control system in which a unitary header structure embodies a construction to allow preassembly and inclusion within the cabinet structure of a water heater for a pool and spa so as to centralize the servicing and control of structures essential to the time sharing heating operation of water by the water heater.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chamber unique in the operation of a hydraulic isolation manifold to allow reliable detection of spa water pump and pool water pump operations for a basis to initiate thermostatic controls.